Ferberite (unusual twin)

Item Description

The Tasna Mine is the source of some of the best, if not THE best twinned Ferberites in the world. We've offered many fine Ferberite twins over the years from this locality, but this miniature is certainly one of the most unusual and eye-catching twins we've had. This miniature specimen features the classic, "butterfly" twinning along the a (100) face, but each "arm" of the twin is notably thin and tabular, a far cry from the thick blocky twins we're used to seeing from Tasna. Each blade has stepped faces with fine luster and classic jet-black color. The piece is very three-dimensional, and was DIFFICULT to photograph, but take my word for it, it's better in person. What's more, the twin is sitting elegantly on a bit of matrix, which is very hard to find in this material as most of them are blasted off the rock during the mining process. The twin itself is in fine shape (nearly damage free), but there are a few small nicks that keep is from being 100% perfect. It's important to know that most of the Ferberites from this mine are severely damaged, and this one is in great condition, so this is a very impressive piece for what it is. Very few Ferberites have been coming out of Tasna in recent years as the price of the tungsten ore is often worth more to the miners than the specimens themselves, so most crystals are simply thrown into the crusher and lost forever. If you like Ferberites or twinned minerals, do not miss out on this one, it truly is better in person and really unique for the locality. Priced in the inventory at $800.